One of the biggest storylines from the start of training camp for the Cincinnati Bengals has been the lack of participation from Ja’marr Chase, who is eligible for an enormous contract extension.

The star wide receiver reported to training camp with the team, but he wasn’t an active participant over the first couple of days, which raised some eyebrows.

When asked if his lack of participation stemmed from unhappiness with his contract, Chase replied “no comment.” This response obviously didn’t help to squash any speculation regarding the reason for his lack of early action in camp.

A plan in place

However, according to Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Chase’s absences were scheduled, and part of a larger plan that the team has for the receiver.

“Yeah, he’s healthy,” Taylor said of Chase, via Sports Illustrated. “We got a bunch of guys like I told you guys yesterday, we’ve got a plan for early in camp. Tee (Higgins) being that guy today also with Ja’Marr, Trey Hendrickson (who did not practice on Thursday). Tomorrow Joe (Burrow) won’t throw, that was pre-planned. I think you guys would agree he’s looked pretty good out here and healthy. So, again, there’s a lot of guys that they and I are on the same page with how we want to handle things and so far so good.”

Assuming that this is true, this should be an enormous relief for Bengals fans. The last thing that the team needs is more wide receiver drama. Tee Higgins’ unhappiness with his current contract situation dominated the offseason headlines, and the Bengals don’t need a repeat performance with the start of the season right around the corner.

Unlike Higgins though, the Bengals do plan to lock Chase up on a long-term extension, so it’s fair to wonder what the holdup is. Team president Mike Brown stated that the ideal negotiating period has already passed, but It certainly seems like getting a deal done is something the team should want to get done before Week 1 in order to avoid any potential distractions. As an organization, Cincinnati is the opposite of frivolous, but locking up Chase seems like a no-brainer.

As far as Chase’s lack of training camp participation goes, it’s entirely possibly that the team just wants to ramp him up slowly. Perhaps this is a classic example of people reading into what happens at training camp, especially early on, a little too much. But, after months without football, fans and pundits alike are understandably eager to have things to discuss and dissect. We’ll find out the truth soon enough.